1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly relates to a connector for a flat ribbon cable connection to which an unterminated end of a flat ribbon cable, such as a flat flexible cable and a printed-wiring cable, having a conductive line covered with a covering is connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a flat flexible cable (FFC) 10 includes multiple copper wires 11, each serving as a conductive line and having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, arranged at predetermined intervals P. The FFC 10 is entirely laminated and covered with a polyester sheet, and is formed into a flat ribbon shape. A lamination polyester covering is denoted by the reference number 12. Both faces 13 and 14 are flat. A thickness of the polyester covering 12 is t.
This type of FFC 10 has become widely used in recent years because of the intervals p, which can be made as narrow as, for example, 0.5 mm, and low costs.
In an example of a connector with such an FFC connected thereto known in the art, a covering on one side of an end of an FFC is removed to expose wires therein, and the exposed wires are put into contact with contact members of the connector.
International Application No. PCT/US02/11143 (Published Japanese translation No. 2004-528692) discloses another example of a connector with such an FFC connected thereto. In this example, an unterminated FFC is placed on the upper side of U-shaped contact members. Then, the FFC is pushed into the contact members by an actuator so that the FFC forms a U-shape along the inner surface of the contact members. While the FFC is pushed into the contact members, a covering is cut to partially expose wires. Thus, a part of each of the contact members comes into contact with the corresponding exposed wire to establish an electrical connection.
Unfortunately, the first example is not cost-effective because it requires cable termination.
On the other hand, the second example does not have such a cost disadvantage because it requires neither cable termination nor soldering. However, in the process of connecting the contact members to the wires, the covering is tore, and the thus exposed wires are dragged on the contact members. This may damage the wires, resulting in lowering of reliability of the electrical connection between the contact members and the wires.
In the case of printed wiring cables, it is troublesome to solder contact members to terminal sections arranged at an end of a cable. If lead-free tin solder is used, short circuits might develop due to occurrence of whiskers.